Daily Devotional
"According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."
1 Peter 1:3-4
Step back and look at the whole passage. Malachi 3:13-4:3 shows us two kinds of people standing in the same camp, hearing the same prophet, living through the same hard years. One group asked, “What is the profit?” and grumbled publicly. The other feared the Lord and spoke with one another. The difference was not their circumstances. The difference was perspective. One group was focused on today. The other was focused on the day.
That is the struggle for all of us. We replace future hope with present happiness. Happiness depends on what is happening right now: a week off work, a good meal, a win on Saturday afternoon. These are real gifts, but they are gone before we know it. Hope is different. Hope rests on a God who does not change and on what he has eternally promised. Peter calls it a living hope, anchored in the resurrection of Jesus and an inheritance that cannot spoil or fade. The remnant wanted a microwave dinner. The few were waiting for a feast.
And we have an advantage the remnant did not have. They stood about four hundred years before the coming of Christ, not knowing exactly what to expect. We live after the cross and the empty tomb, waiting for his return. We know the name behind the promises. Jesus is the faithful Son who never asked what the profit was in serving his Father. He is the one whose words were never hard against God. He is the true Treasured Son who was not spared, so that we could be spared. He is the Sun of Righteousness who rose with healing for his people. And he is the Lamb whose book holds the names of everyone who trusts in him.
So here is the good news for everyone who belongs to Christ: you are written in the book, you are the King’s treasured possession, and you will be set free on the day when he acts. The invitation remains open to anyone still standing in the crowd (Romans 10:9-10). One day God will dwell with his people, wipe away every tear, and end death, mourning, crying, and pain forever (Revelation 21:3-4). That day is coming. Until then, do not grumble. Find another believer and encourage one another, all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Today's Challenge
Looking back over this week, which of the three questions pressed hardest on you: What are you saying? Are you focused on today or on the day? Will you be treasured or trampled? What is one concrete way you will shift your attention from present happiness to future hope in the week ahead?
Prayer
God, thank you that you never fail, never stop, and never give up on your people. The first word you spoke through Malachi was "I have loved you," and that is still your word to me in Christ. Forgive me for living as though today is all there is. Lift my eyes to the day when Jesus returns, when every tear is wiped away and every wrong is made right. Until then, keep me running the race with your people, encouraging one another with the hope we share. In Jesus' name, Amen.
